I have a thing for what I call "fancy selfies" and a vendetta against phone selfies. I could go on about it, but the long story short is that I feel like phone selfies are all too often staged, contrived, candy-coated things—empty of authentic content—because of how easy they are to take. On the other hand, the complexity of shooting with a "fancy" camera makes you more open to variability of result—more open to the spontaneous captures of a fleeting moment.
In this fancy selfie, I'm posing with a new friend I made at Dane Hill Manor. It didn't take long for the two of us to connect—all I had to do was talk to him and show him that I meant no harm. After that, we were fast friends. We were with his herd, but this was a special moment just the two of us.
There's nothing too special about this photo technically, and on first glance, you might think it was indeed shot on an iPhone. It delights me that this was captured on a Leica Q3—I wish you could have seen me holding the camera awkwardly, trying not to drop the clunky piece of equipment while blindly framing the shot. I had one eye on the rest of the herd, grazing near by and knew I had a second to get this shot before the situation dissolved into disorder once more.
I love the slightly wonky, un-self-conscious nature of this photo—animals are so beautifully un-self-conscious by nature. The juxtaposition of a horse posing for a selfie vs. a human just reminds me of how wholesome animals are. I love how the horse, staring curiously at the camera, is centered in the frame, and how I am cut off. And of course, we're cheek-to-cheek—capturing the trust and comfort we felt with each other. I love how you can see the horse's rump and see that he is standing pretty straight, as if he lined himself up for the photo.